Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from Kabul.

Sad Day in Kabul

It's a bit subdued today at our camp. A man that had worked with us for a long time here in Afg was killed in a terrible traffic accident. I had lived and worked with him at our last camp and he lived just down the hall from me at my present camp. He was a fine man and an excellent soldier. You are missed, my friend.

Intercontinental Hotel Banquet

You won't find this at Wimbledon: tennis courts with sniper screens.

Scott, Nasir, me, Temour, Permila, and Stan at the Intercontinental Hotel, Kabul.

More of us.

And again.

West Kabul. The large building, left of center, is the largest bakery in Afg. The smokey, hazy sky is typical of the air quality this time of year.

Me at the Intercontinental Hotel with Western Kabul in the background.

My friend, Scott.

My boss, Stan, and my friend, Nasir.

The Intercontinental Hotel with the hilltop park in the foreground.

What an outing! A few of us were invited by the senior language assistants (interpreters) to a banquet today. It was a farewell to my friend Scott who will be ending his mission in Afghanistan in a few short weeks. My Afghan friends were also thanking me for some work that I did to help them obtain immigrant visas for the US. These Americans-to-be are Nasir (Nah-SEAR) and Temour (TEE-more) in the photos above.


The lunch was an Afghan buffet at the Kabul Intercontinental Hotel. The hotel is in our old neighborhood in western Kabul. It was the first time that I had been by our old houses since leaving at the beginning of August. I must admit that it was a bit nostalgic driving through the familiar streets that I had called home for a brief time. We arrived a few minutes early and took advantage of the time to climb to the top of an adjacent hill that I looked at often from the rooftop of my old house. From this vantage point, I had a fantastic view of both Kabul proper and the next valley that is considered "West" Kabul. This valley is home to much of the industry, polytechnics, universities, and many more houses and apartments. The top of the hill has been turned into a park complete with a fountain (turned off for the winter) and many rose bushes.


When it was time to eat, we went inside the hotel and ate in the Bukhara Restaurant. At most buffets, I seem to end up with something that I just don't care for. I went through this line, took so many new foods, and loved every one of them. All three of the Americans that were in attendance made similar observations: for just those few hours, we could have been anywhere in the world. The magnificent food, spectacular views, and great company. It was a wonderful day.


The most special event of the banquet was the introduction of my friend Temour's wife, Permila (Per-MILL-ah). Temour and Permila were married this summer. I had been invited to the wedding, but was unable to attend because of the security posture in Kabul. Permila was a delight, with a quick smile and friendly personality. I was very happy to have met her and honored that Temour brought her to the lunch.

Kabul Rain

After months and months with absolutely no precipitation, it finally rained today. It was cold enough that I am certain that it fell as snow in the higher elevations. The air tastes and smells so much more clear today. What a treat.

Tea Pots and the Fujairah Cityscape

Neighborhood mosque near my hotel.

Old Fujariah fort. The foreground is what the area looks like without irrigation.

An example of the city's round-a-bout art. That's one big tea pot!

Furairah has spent a great deal of effort and money decorating its roads. Every major round-a-bout has a giant sculpture in the center. Most seems to be Arabian in theme with an element of water added. The colors are bright and in stark contrast to the surrounding desert.

Sunrise Fishing Trip

Oil tanks along the coast of Fujairah. Signage on the tanks showed that each tank held ~30k+ cubic meters.

Moon at sunrise over Fujairah--taken from the Indian Ocean.

Fujairah at sunrise.

Some of the many, many ships anchored about 6-8 kilometers off of the coast of Fujairah.

Today I went sea fishing. I watched the sun rise up out of the ocean as we made our way out onto the water. The initial attempt was trawling--one tuna (small) in an hour. As

we were trawling, we made our way all of the way out into the anchorage area where the ships await passage through the Straights of Hormuz or until their wares are ready for loading in the Fujairah area. The tankers are simply massive.

Fishing total for the day: one small tuna, one barracuda, one silver belt, eight red mullet, and six hammour. I selected a small sample for my dinner and the rest went to the staff for their families. It was a fun morning.

More Photos from the East Coast Day Trip

Flower on the biggest mint bush I have ever seen.

Downtown Khwar Fakkan--One of the Shaikh of Furairah's palaces on the hilltop.

Beach in Khwar Fakkan. The little Jeep pick-up is being used to pull in huge fishing nets. There is another one doing the same thing about three hundred yards to the left.

This will be my first attempt at using a Google Earth link to show where I was today. Link is here. If you see the kidney-bean shaped loop, we explored the eastern side of that loop starting in Fujairah and as far north as Diba and back with plenty of side trips to the coast and the interior hills too. The little cut out in the center of the kidney bean that is roughly shaped like Australia or Texas (okay, squint a little...) is an exclave of Oman.

Day Trip along the East Coast of the UAE

First stop: Al Bidyah mosque. Oldest mosque in all of the UAE--established in the 15th century.

Al Bidyah mosque.

Me in front of a banana tree and next to a lemon tree. No, I did not sample the bananas.

More of the farm that I visited.

My new Pakistani farmer friend with the result of his efforts.

Today's adventure was a "guided" tour north along the coast road from Furairah. Guided was a little loose because I asked the guide, Mani, to shake it up and let me do some of the directing. He seemed to appreciate that fact that I sat up front with him and just wanted to talk about what we drove by, rather than sitting in the back with an "entertain me--I dare you" attitude. We hit it off and enjoyed our five+ hours together. He shared with me his fifteen years of living in the UAE, places that he had lived, jobs that he has worked, and what it is like for a non-Muslim living in the heartland of Islam. I asked him to stop at quite a few places that were not on the agenda. My favorite was a farm along the coast that grew everything from bananas and dates to mangoes and citrus fruits. It was wonderful and smelled so good I didn't want to leave. The young Pakistani farmer (pictured above) was a little reluctant to let some strange guy wander around his farm with a camera until a few dirhams changed hands. I have lived here long enough to know how things work. It was a wonderful day.



I also learned that all of the nationalism that I observed and wrote about yesterday may be more temporally influenced rather than spatially; December 2nd is National Day. So much for my keen observation skills.

It's All About the Hat

Serving Thanksgiving dinner to the troops at Camp Gibson, Kabul. My friend Scott is serving to my immediate right. Look at that wrist action serving that corn...

Photos of Oman

Some of the destruction left behind by Cyclone Gonu in June 2007. This photo was taken in the village of Al Aqr, Oman.

Al Aqr, Oman.

Al Aqr, Oman.

Oman-UAE border taken from the Oman side.

My birthday cake that was awaiting me at the end of my day of travels.

The Trip to Oman

Giant UAE flag on the beach near the UAE-Oman border. I saw many more visible signs of nationalism in Fujairah than in Dubai.

It's all about the stamps. For frequent travelers, there is a sort of posture and status that is attained when you have to have extra pages added to your passport. Today I acquired a stamp that relatively few Americans have in their passports: The Sultanate of Oman. The UAE-Oman border is 18 kilometers from the hotel where I am staying. I thought it would be a snap to just buzz on down to the first town inside of Oman, have lunch, and say that I had been there. Well, hiring the car was easy. I have made my way across a border or two in my life of traveling, but this one was perhaps the most remote and desolate border crossing ever. First stop was the UAE exit trailer. 20 dirhams, please. Exit stamp; check. Entry visa for Oman? No, sir. What is the purpose of your visit to the sultanate? I want to drive down the road and take a picture. Strange look from customs officer; check. Auto insurance for Oman? No, sir. Please talk to the man in the little hut behind the trailer. Omani car insurance; check. Once I finally made my way through the border with all of my little stamps and certificates in order, I found myself in a wonderful little corner of the world. Cyclone Gonu struck this area in June and caused extraordinary damage that they are still repairing. As I got off of the brand new highway and explored the little villages along the seacoast, I could see the damage left behind. Houses gone leaving only their foundations, palm trees uprooted and lying dead in open spaces, and road after road washed away. It was a good thing I had hired a 4x4 to make my way through sand "roads" and wadis.

After spending the afternoon in Oman, I returned back through the border gauntlet and made my way back to the hotel. The staff, noticing my birth date on my passport, had made me a birthday cake and left it in the room for me to discover upon my return.

Happy Birthday to Me

40. At one time in my life 40-year old people seemed, well, old! Now that I arrived at the top of the hill and am looking at the downward side, I am realizing that it only took a moment to arrive at this destination.

I am celebrating this birthday by using my final days of required leave (R&R for you military folks) sitting on the Indian Ocean (Gulf of Oman on some maps—same, same) in the city of Fujairah, UAE. It was once a small fishing village near the Oman-UAE border. I arrived late last night, so I have only seen the city in darkness, but will go out this morning and explore what it has to offer. Driving here last night, I was amazed at how many families were stopped by the side of the road having picnics in the dunes. It was Friday night (Muslim weekend), so I suppose it is similar to families in the US going to the park on a Saturday afternoon. This emirate is supposed to be much more conservative that Dubai; I suppose I will have to curb my propensity to dance upon the tabletops.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving, all-

Greetings from a cold and crisp Kabul. Thanksgiving came to us on a very clear night this year. A group of us from the international community stayed up half the night preparing meals from our respective countries to share with the 700-ish people that will celebrate with us tomorrow. At the end of the long night, we were walking back to our quarters, fully exhausted, but with buoyant spirits, and happened to look up into the unusually clear sky to see a shooting star streak across the sky. Perhaps it is a sign that this Thanksgiving will mark the beginning of lasting peace and security to this beautiful land and its people.

Below is a link to a photo essay web page that a colleague of mine put together to share this holiday. The photos were all taken around Kabul this past month. http://2screwsloose.com/index.html

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my friends and family throughout the world.

Happy Veterans Day

A sincere 'Thank you' to the nation's veterans today -- and every day. When diplomacy fails, it is these brave men and women that willingly put themselves in harms way to allow the rest of us to continue with our lives. There are no finer soldiers throughout the world than our own. To the families of my fallen comrades, bless you.

Science Comes to Afghanistan

For years scientists, pondering minds, and that long-haired TV bounty hunter have been searching for the answer of one of the world's long unanswered questions. You have all visited a Stop 'n Rob like 7-11 and seen one of those multi-generational hot dogs spinning lazily on the rotisserie day after day. No living human has even been spotted actually eating one of these food-like substances. At some point, shortly before the wieners turn into carbon dust, they are replaced with new victims of the slow spinning death. Hark! Rejoice! The question of where the old wieners go has been answered. They are shipped to Afghanistan and fed to expats. I am so proud to be contributing to science.

Thinking Back

Times are changing. Another person that I have worked with since I arrived in Afg has ended his time here and returned home. His departure caused me to reflect on the ten months that I have been away. This experience has been the source of many emotions. I have met some wonderful people that I hope to remain friends with in the times to come. I have been exposed to a culture that while very foreign to me has been welcoming and warm. I am glad to have had the chance to live this experience.

Fried Chicken

There is a Popeyes Chicken and Biscuits restaurant at Bagram Air Field. One of the guys went to Bagram today and brought back a truck load of fried chicken for the team. WOW! I sat down with a box of chicken, opened a can of Dr Pepper, and for a few minutes I was home in the US. As I sit here with hardening arteries, all I can say is "God Bless America!"

Weather

We got to view an interesting weather show last night. The northern-half of the sky was clear with the moon shining brightly--so brightly that it cast shadows. As we were marveling at the warm night, the southern sky above the mountains erupted with an incredible lightning show. The storm didn't bring any rain--haven't seen any of that here in months--but the show was beautiful to watch.

Happy Birthday

Today is Margaret's birthday--29 again! Happy birthday to you... .

Feels Like Fall has Arrived

It has been cool enough to wear a jacket in the mornings here in Kabul. When the sun goes down at night, it doesn't take long for the warmth to leave too. The smell of smoke gathers in the air in the evenings as families have started burning "stuff" to keep their homes warm through the nights. We should have one more month before the first snow falls in the valley.

Back to Work

After an absolutely splendid trip to the US, I am back to work in Kabul. The weather is cooler; I even wore a jacket to the office today. It is rather quiet around the camp as all of the local employees are enjoying some holidays celebrating Eid ul Fitr. I missed the majority of Ramadan, so I have little insight to share on that subject. It was strange to be in the Mall of the Emirates in Dubai during Ramadan and see all of the closed food and refreshment outlets. Daily daylight fasting for a month reveals an awful lot of dedication.

Welcome Back

I have changed some of the settings to make it more difficult for the spammers and the haters of the world to access this blog. As always, please send me your questions and comments.

England/Wales Trip Photos

Woburn Abbey, Bedforshire, UK

Central Wales

Conwy Castle, Conwy, North Wales

Llandudno, North Wales (Irish Sea in the foreground)

Here are a few photos of my recent trip to England and Wales.

Rain, Rain, Rain

Shouldn't have been a big surprise, but it has been rainy and cold most of the trip here in UK. I am on my way back to Afg via Dubai. I will be there for a short week and then back to Dubai for a week with Margaret. So much traveling...

Today's Travels

Bob arrived last night so I now have a travelling partner. We awoke to another rainy day. We drove to the town of Hitchin. I found that it had changed much less than Bedford. We walked around exploring the downtown area and then sat in a coffee shop and solved the problems of the world. We then visited Woburn Abbey. I had visited this place 20 years ago when English girlfriend of the moment thought that I needed an infusion of English culture. I'm sure that I enjoyed the visit more today than then.

We will meet up with Jenn in South Wales tomorrow morning before setting off for North Wales. More then...

Rainy Day

What do you expect from English weather? I suppose that the monthly allocation of sunny weather was used up yesterday. Still, I did manage to enjoy a long drive in the country around East Anglia, finished a few housekeeping chores (laundry + holiday = Humph!) and went for a walk in the rain. I enjoyed wandering around some of the little villages of my past; Sandy, Clophill, Hitchin (not really a village), and Biggleswade. Most of them have not changed a bit.

One more day in Bedford and then off to Wales. Looking forward to every minute of it.

Where Has the Time Gone?

I have safely arrived in UK. The trip here was a bit of an ordeal: the flight from Kabul to Dubai was delayed/cancelled/changed because President Karzai was flying that day as well. Those of us that were already in the airport were removed, marched about one quarter mile away into a village, placed into a penned-in area with high fences, and guarded (read: soldiers stood there with their guns pointed at us) until the president had flown away. Interesting way to garner votes... After I finally made it into the airport, Scott called and told me there had been yet another attack on a military convoy with casualties. Dubai to London was not without excitement either. Seems someone had purchased a ticket and checked in, but 'forgot' to board. The crew had to unload all of the luggage to locate the missing person's bags and have them removed. We were a bit late arriving at Heathrow, but luckily the airport arranged to have a few other planeloads of tired (and smelly!) travellers arrive at the same time. Two hours in the passport line alone. The Heathrow reputation is well-deserved.

All that said, I am having a fantastic time. I enjoyed my drive from the airport to Bedford last night. I am staying in an inn that has been in business for a bit longer than 500 years. I had walked by this establishment so many times when I lived here so long ago, but had never been inside. I have not been disappointed. My body being on Kabul time, I awoke a little before the sun. I showered and hit the road at first light. I wandered all around the county where I had lived and worked watching the day awaken. In a country that has such long history, it should be no surprise that many of the places look and feel and smell exactly the same. After my morning's drive, I went back to the inn, grabbed a quick bite of breakfast, and walked around downtown Bedford watching the shopkeepers greet the new day. I changed into my running gear and went for a wonderful run through the Queen's Woods near Chicksands. I had run in these woods hundreds of miles while I worked at Chicksands and it felt very much like a homecoming. Even though it had been nearly 20 years since I had been on the trails, I never once got lost or took a wrong turn. Memories of a different era washed over me like a wave. The last time I had been on those trails, the Berlin Wall still stood, the Soviet Union had not yet collapsed, and I was part of the 'tip of the spear' serving in Europe. Faces and names of old friends that I had not thought of for years came back to me as I ran. What a glorious morning.

After a lunch back in Bedford, I returned to Chicksands. One of the perks of my current job is that I have a number of identity cards issued by various agencies. One of them granted me access to the base. Chicksands has a long history in the military espionage/intelligence field and it continues today. After talking to the guard commander, I was granted unescorted (unheard of!) access to the base to continue my trip down memory lane. With the notable exception of the missing elephant cage, the base looks remarkably similar to how it looked when I worked there. Most of the base housing area has been taken over by the local government agency that administers low-income housing. I found my way around the winding network of roads like no time had passed. It was a wonderful day.

My last bit of excitement was getting a proper haircut at a shop in Bedford. The woman cutting my hair said that it looked like I had been in the sun and inquired if I had been away on holiday. I told her that I was indeed on holiday here in Bedford. She laughed and asked where I had received the sun on my noggin'? I told her that I was living in Afg. The room got a bit quiet and I wondered what sort of place I had wandered in to. The young woman said quietly that there were three haircut people (you can't really call them barbers any longer, can you?) in the shop with boyfriends/husbands serving in Afg or Iraq. It was moving to see the other side of war; the loved ones at home paying a different, but not insignificant, price. She wouldn't hear of taking my money no matter how hard I tried to explain that I was civilian and not worthy of her gracious offer. I left her, and her colleagues, a nice tip and encouraged them to have a nice time tonight (it's Friday night here now) on me as they had deserved it.

All this and it's only Day 1.

UK-bound

I am in Dubai--yes, again--on my way to London. My friend Bob from the US is flying in to meet me in London for a much-anticipated ten day break. I am going to visit around Bedfordshire where I lived and worked twenty years ago. Hard to believe it has been that long since I called England home. After re-living my youth, we are going to drive west and relax a bit more in the north of Wales. It should be a wonderful time that I am looking forward to a great deal.

Shernee

In keeping with the Afghan custom of shernee, I shared my good fortune (promotion) with friends yesterday. It is the local custom that when something good happens to you, you share your happiness with your friends by buying a small gift for them. The gift can be clothing or food or any number of ways to share your happiness. One of my favorite foods here is kabobs--freshly cooked meat with fresh nan bread. Mmmmmm. One of my Afghan friends, Nasir, agreed to pick up kabobs from an excellent shop in the downtown area of Kabul and bring them to our camp for a feast. They were delicious and enjoyed by my Western and Afghans friends that were able to attend. What a nice concept to share happiness.

Sand Storm

We had an incredible sand storm yesterday. Mid-afternoon the wind started kicking up and by dinner it was really howling. We were taking bets when the first roof of the new camp would blow off. To the credit of the construction crews, it looks like all of the buildings survived. This morning all is quiet and clear again.

You Know that You Have Been in Afghanistan Too Long...

From the lists the are made anywhere soldiers congregate... the items listed are all too true. A few of my favorites.

You know that you have been in Afghanistan too long if:

• Driving on the sidewalk is normal.
• You get upset that you don't get Soviet Surplus Frequent Flyer Miles.
• Driving through the "Traffic Circles of Death" has lost its thrill.
• You aren't alarmed when every second person you see has a gun... or 2... or 3.
• You say "It feels cooler today" and find out that it is 100.
• A shower with water that is neither too cold nor too hot and contains no diesel fuel or sewage is a priceless unattainable luxury.
• You get excited by the presence of clouds.
• No matter what dead animal you are eating, it will be flavored with curry.
• Scamming a third can of soda makes you feel like you got even with someone.

More to follow...

New Mailing Address

My new mailing address:

450th CA BN
Camp Gibson, Bldg 19
APO AE 09356

Moving In

Ah, the smell of burning electrical boxes. As would be expected, there are a few snafus here in Hooverville. Quite a few folks have found that their showers leak, and the drains are located on the uphill side of the bathroom floor. I have reminded my guys that in the US they would have had to pay extra for an indoor pool. Electricity is also an adventure. We use electrical equipment from all over the world. To connect these various plugs with differing power requirements, we use some of the highest quality adaptors available on the open market. These 39 cent specials spark and smoke on the good days; they catch fire on the bad. It's all in the adventure. I'm sure that there will be more later.

Ready to Move

After living out of boxes and paper bags for the past weeks, it is finally time to move. Within the next couple of days, those of us that have called Camp Normandy home for so long will move to the newly constructed Camp Gibson. The camp is named in honor of Gerald Gibson, the first U.S. civilian police officer killed in Afghanistan helping the Afghan people reclaim their country.

After the mad push to get moved into our new home, I will be off for a little down time in the UK. I am meeting some friends in London where I will bore them to death visiting all of my old haunts before moving on to Wales for some fresh air and relaxation and much-needed battery recharging.

Some of you will think that I am off and about quite often. I'm sure that it does seem that way. The way that contract works is that you are limited to working 313 days in one calendar year. Since I work seven days per week, the only way to take time off is to be out of Afghanistan. Imagine a job that requires you to take the equivalent of one day off per week and this is what I have. Instead of taking a couple of long breaks and then be stuck with stretches of 150 days without a break, I chose to take off small chunks every four to six weeks.

Hard to believe that it is already August. I am well beyond the halfway point in this year in Kabul. What a year it has been...

Moving Day--Postponed...again

Our move to the new taxpayer-funded concentration camp has been postponed yet again. The absolute drop dead, gotta be done date has passed us by and the camp is ready to go, except it has no water, power, sewage, internet, furniture, safety bunkers, and an operational dining facility. Other than that, it's ready to go. I visited the camp yesterday and learned that the local workers that are assembling the existing furniture have completed 2.5 of the 20+ buildings. The unskilled labor force here is an obstacle by itself. The guys mean well, but they are truly unskilled. There are 60 local workers and five international (mostly US and European) workers on this part of the project. The five out produced the 60. It is a common mantra dealing with the labor force: if you want something done twice as fast, you hire twice as many workers. Nice fellows, just slower than slow.

Fine Dining, Kabul-style

A new logistics manager-type joined the company. During the 'meet the new guy' staff meeting, a discussion developed regarding how you could measure the success of the dining facilities. Lofty ideas floated around the table, but none really touched us. I spoke up and shared how those of us that have been here a while gaged the food: measure the amount of time from your last bite of food and the point when you need to run to the bathroom--that is a measure that is certain and quantifiable. The guy gave a little laugh and dismissed the idea. Shortly after our meeting adjourned, he joined us for dinner. I was about half way through my dinner when this same guy came up to me, tapped me on the shoulder, and whispered into me ear "What is the current record?" With a mock look of surprise on my face, I asked him if the food was not to his liking. He said that he had found the meat uncooked and mold on the salads and bread. I turned back to my dinner and told him that he would learn to eat around it like the rest of us.

Still Here

I have made it back from a quick trip to Dubai. There is virtually no Internet connectivity here at my place in Kabul, so this may be the only post in the near future. We have been told that the tech folks are not going to be able to fix the problem, so I am exploring alternatives.

All is well here--just working hard.

A Tragic Day

One of my concerns living here in Afg is the welfare of the children. Of particular concern is the number of the little ones that are hurt and killed in accidents. For a variety of reasons, the children often play in the streets. They have not been taught to be cautious around vehicles. In separate traffic accidents over the past two days, our employees have been involved in tragic collisions that resulted in the death of two young boys playing in the streets. A horrible set of events for all involved.

In the News

For those of you that believe that the West should not be exporting our values to Afghanistan, I challenge you to read this article.

Thoughts of Home

I generally do not get homesick; I miss people and events, but don't dwell on it. Today, there must have been a little bit of home in the air. The sun was warm (around 90 degrees F), but not too hot, on my way to the gym to run (with my schedule, a rare event lately). I set my iPod on shuffle and took off running. A few songs into the run, one of my favorite Allison Krauss songs came on. All of a sudden I was transported to one of the most spiritual places in the world to me: running across the plains at Boylston outside of Ellensburg. The feeling of home stayed with me for the rest of the afternoon.

The Next Two Weeks

For the next two weeks, there is going to be an increase in my already full days; we are implementing some significant changes within our mission that I am helping to drive. Just notice that I will probably be a little scarce on the blog...

Happy Independence Day

4th of July in Afghanistan. Here I was being protected by a Kiwi bodyguard, driven by a Romanian driver, screaming across an Afghan city with Yankee Doodle blaring from the car radio. Not like any other 4th I have ever celebrated.

Moonrise Over TV Hill

Cruising Afghan style.

Here are a few photos I took earlier this evening. Before the moon cleared the peak of TV Hill, the light was so intense I thought it was a helicopter hovering on the far side of the hill with a searchlight shining toward the house. It was an amazing sight.

A Great Day

One of the most wonderful things to do as a commander is to reward people for doing great work. Today I got to reward our language assistants (interpreters) and local workers with raises. What a gift to see the smiles on the faces of the people that work so hard to make our lives easier.

This afternoon, I needed some Afghani to pay for my haircut that I desperately needed. I asked my friend Temour (he supervises all of the LAs here) if he could exchange some US money for Afghani. He arranged for one of his guys to run to a local currency market for me. I said that as long as he was going into town that he should pick up a treat for the office. About 30 minutes later he returned with two large trays of black cherries. They were delicious! With a belly full of cherries, I walked over to the barber to get my hair cut. He was playing some local music, there was a gentle breeze blowing through the doorway of the little barber hut... I promptly dozed off. That speaks of how tired I am, but also how relaxed I was this afternoon. It is a wonderful feeling to enjoy good stories and laughs with friends and be able to feel completely comfortable in your surroundings. What a great day.

Half of a Year

It's hard to believe that it has been six months since I was packing bags full of clothing and gear for my move to Afghanistan via Virginia. It has been a period of time filled with the joy meeting and working with some wonderful people. I am sure that I have met some people that will be friends for the rest of my time.

It has also been a period of frustration watching the international community flounder in its support of the future nation of Afghanistan. A common question asked by Afghans when you meet them for the first time is "How long do you plan to be here?" It is a valid question. We, the occupying Westerners, blaze into a country and expect an entire culture to change overnight to a completely foreign way of thinking. How long will we be here? I wonder...

Good News/Bad News

As this day has unfolded, we are rejoicing the wonderful news that the last remaining mine-clearing hostages have been released and are in good health. This has also been a sad day; a number of my fellow Western NGO workers were killed in a bombing here in Kabul. Rest in peace, my friends.

Another New Job on the Horizon?

Found out yesterday that there may be yet another new job for me on the horizon. More later on that.

What I do know now is that being a deputy chief (my title is different, but the role is the same) of a 600+ man department is a challenging, but very rewarding, job. Add to that performing that role in an emergent, developing country occupied by foreign military troops and the impact of continuing combat and terrorist activities and you have a full-time job.

Thoughts of the Day

What do I miss? I miss a few quiet moments sitting in a coffee house, drinking a nice cup of freshly brewed coffee, and reading the entire New York Times.

What is my favorite newly discovered store? NetGrocer.com! I placed a small order with this company to test them out. In seven short days, three little boxes of delectable treasures arrived at my house, each filled with mana from heaven. Imagine food not pre-loaded with botulism?

Yet Another New Job

The has been some reorganization occurring throughout the contingent staff. One of the moves left the deputy contingent commander's slot open. Sunday morning I was appointed as the acting DCC until a permanent replacement could be found. When that person is found and briefed up, I will return to my regular job. Now if I could just remember which position that was...

I'm not sure what the current record is for the most positions held during one mission, but I must be closing in on it.

Cockamamie Logic

There was yet another incident of Afghan children being killed by coalition forces. Granted, in guerrilla warfare there are no rules and sometimes the bad guys use good people as shields. This is not a new concept, but we can't seem to adjust our tactics to avoid it. For some reason, if it an innocent person is killed by the coalition, it's just the cost of doing business. What? To make us feel better about children being killed, White House spokesman Tony Snow: "the terrorists are certainly willing to go in and take innocent human lives." Oh, well, if the bad guys do it, it's certainly okay if we do it too. Huh?

Attack on Afghan Police-Kabul

It was another sad day for the Afghan National Police in Kabul. A homicide bomber struck a bus loaded with ANP instructors. Reports vary, but there were many deaths. These brave men volunteer for a difficult and dangerous job that pays $70 a month. They believe in the idea of a better and freer future for the next generation. On this sad Father's Day, my heart goes out to their families.

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all of my fellow dads and dads-to-be around the world.

Short Afghan Timeline

This is a short timeline that gives a thumbnail sketch of the events leading up to today.

Attack on Convoy in Kabul

There was an attack on a mixed military/civilian convoy this morning just a short distance from my compound. News articles here and here. None of the contractors were hurt. None of the other details have been made public yet. Just a short note to say that we are all fine.

Closure

30+ years ago I watched part of "The Rockford Files" pilot, but never knew how it ended. All these years later, I now know without a doubt that you were right, Dad. They got 'em.

Weather in Kabul

I am often asked about the weather. Some of the questions make me laugh; they are usually from people that mistakenly believe that I am living in a desert, a la "Lawrence of Arabia." While there are portions of western Afg that share the appearance of Larry's neighborhood, I live in a high mountain valley completely surrounded by towering peaks. (For you Ellensburg readers, it looks extraordinarily similar to the Kittitas Valley, except over three times higher.) The weather is undoubtedly warm, but the simple temperature is misleading. At an elevation of 6,000 feet (~1,800 meters for my more science-empowered readers), the solar intensity is noticeably higher. There is a reason that Afghans looks so much older than their chronological years. Also, using yesterday as an example, there is virtually no humidity in the air. By mid-day yesterday, the humidity was only 8 percent and the temperature was around 90 degrees F. The result is similar to working and living in a giant dehumidifier. Add to that a constant breeze and Viola! My northern European roots guarantee that I stay in a constant state of a pinkish hue.

The Love of Money

Some people think that I came to work in Afghanistan for the money. I received my first pay stub yesterday and I was reviewing exactly how much we are actually paid. I am averaging just over 100 hours of work per week. With that in mind, my hourly rate is lower than if I was at home working as the head fry cook at McDonald's.

It's not about the money folks. It's about the people.

World Map Trivia

The individual city with the most hits---in the entire world? The suspense........ my faithful friends in Ellensburg.

World Map

I'm not sure why I am so facinated by the distribution of the readers of this blog. The graphic is a map showing the location of the readers. See any patterns?

A Critical Point in Time

The Western military presence in Afghanistan is wearing out its welcome. I strongly believe that the majority of the Afghan population wanted freedom and security for their future. I also strongly believe that Western governments are going about rebuilding that freedom in a less-than-stellar manner. Increasing incidents of "friendly fire" (a pathetically misleading oxymoron) are undermining the positive steps toward a secure future that are made everyday. Western military forces are second to none at breaking apart an adversary and crushing dissent. However, these same forces of destruction are not equipped to rebuild the remaining portions of the broken society. This role rightly falls upon the shoulders of diplomats and non-combatants.

Readers: Who You Are, Update

Readership has broken through the 4,000 threshold hailing from 30 countries.

Off to Dubai Again

My friend, Scott, and I are off to Dubai in the morning. It will be a quick four-day business trip, but I'm sure that we will find a little time to enjoy a beautiful June day.

I had my first big "test" in my new position and came through even better than I had hoped. Nice for my first step to be a strong and positive one. I look forward to the next challenges when I return from Dubai on Tuesday.

Hello, Neighbor

You never know who you are going to sit near on a plane.

On my flight leaving Kabul, a well-dressed Afghan sat down next to me. I noticed that everyone on the plane was being extra deferential to him. He spent the time on the short flight reading a book and sleeping. When we arrived at the Dubai airport, two women from the US embassy in Kabul that were flying with us told me that the man was President Karzai's brother. Hmmm.

On the flight to Switzerland the next day, two nice looking Arab men sat in the row with me. For several hours I tried to sleep (the flight departed Dubai at 1:30 am), but gave up started to read. At some point we stated to talk. There are hardly any native residents of the UAE, so a common opening question is to ask where a person is from. (Note: I have an alter-ego that I assume when I travel. There are plenty of people in the Middle East--and plenty of other places too--that think that Americans should stay out, so I alternate between being a college professor modelled after my friend Bob--causes trouble when we travel together--and an engineer that is in the region designing roads. And, to explain the fair hair and skin, I am always Canadian. No one hates Canada!) The conversation progressed and the man eventually told me that he was on his way to his family home in Geneva. Turns out my neighbor was a member of the ruling family from Sharjah, the emirate immediately north of Dubai. A real life sheik.

Memories of Spain

The pink princess on her throne.

The southern coast of Spain was truly beautiful. In the areas where you didn't have to look at all of the massive billboards advertising the latest real estate trend it looked even better. It was too bad that the coast highway has been burdened with all of the visual blight.

The roads themselves were interesting. Margaret has a keen talent of finding the curviest road in the world and our time in Spain confirmed that she has not lost this talent. About three-quarters of the way from the coast to the mountain town of Ronda, driving on this little goat trail of a road, we both looked at each other and just laughed. Years ago when we were dating, she sent me on a wild goose chase on a very similar mountain road outside of Taos, New Mexico. We both laughed at the recollection and the current similarities. While we were in Ronda, we answered the question of why people settled there: because they couldn't find their way out once they arrived.

The scooters... ah, now there is a calming memory. Little teen agers on mopeds/scooters things running all over creation and cutting in and out of traffic. Where was my 12,000 pound armored truck when I needed it?

New Day, New Job

When I returned to Kabul yesterday, the guys that picked me up told me that I was going to be working in a new position. Interesting, especially because I hadn't been looking for a new position. I asked a lot of questions about this change, but no one had any answers.

When I finally arrived back at my house, I was able to learn that a new position had been created and the command staff had asked that I be allowed to fill the director's position. I was flattered and also filled with a bit of trepidation. As the position evolves, I will write and share more about it. I will be remaining in the same house and working with many of the same men, just in a very different capacity. Sounds cryptic, doesn't it?

What a Vacation!

Annie and Dad playing at an overlook south of Ronda, Spain.

I have returned to Dubai after a fantastic vacation with the family. It was wonderful to sit and talk in complete comfort, eat too much good food, and play, play, play. More stories later when I return to Kabul.

Zürich, en route Mijas

Nearly two days after this trek began, I am nearing the end of the seemingly endless flights. I will board the last flight in about 30 minutes for a quick flight from Zürich to Malaga. I am tired, a bit cranky, and smell like a goat, but excited to meet up with the family in Spain.

The Answer is...

First the question (as the airplane door opened and the hot air rolled in: "Holy Moses! It's HOT! I wonder how hot it is?"

44 degrees Celsius (112) and it was only noon. Fried eggs, anyone?

On the Road Again

I am in my second (third?) home--Traders Hotel in Dubai. It is a definite sign that I am traveling too much when the people at the hotel know you by sight and call to you by name. Not that I mind the excellent service, but it is a bit unnerving. Several of them even remembered that I was in town en route to Spain to meet the family.

I saw an interesting sight today flying over southern Iran. There in a sea of reddish-brown terrain (appeared to be sandy) arose a single towering peak that was jet black. It was beautiful.

When I flew back to Kabul last week, I enjoyed the smoothest landing ever--the transition from flying to on the ground was absolutely seamless. That crew was not working today. The plane, apparently so recently purchased on eBay it didn't even have an airline name or tail numbers painted on its fuselage, was a real treat. My favorite part (the toilet brush in the open--and sloshing--bowl of bleach in the bathroom was a close second) was the 'security door' between the passengers and the flight crew. Seems the handle and locking mechanism was broken, so every time the steward needed to bring in the next round of chai for the pilots--you're going to love this--he took the demonstration seat belt, hooked the male end of the fastener between the door and the jam, wedged it in there nice and tight, and yanked. The first time, I must admit, I was a bit alarmed to see someone breaking into the cockpit. After that I just laughed. I had a great view of the whole thing too, as I took an earlier flight and found a seat in first class (read: no difference other than a glass of mango juice). It was worth the extra couple of pesos because it got me into Dubai about 7-8 hours earlier. And, that is 7-8 hours that I can get the Kabul dust worked out of my lungs so the family doesn't think that I have taken up smoking. It has been pretty dusty of late, so there is a bit of Kabul that I am exporting as an unwanted souvenir in my lungs.

About eight hours to go before I take off for Zurich on my way to Spain. I can't wait.

Then there were three...

Days that is, until I get to see my family for the first time in five months. It has been a long winter and spring and I am excited to get away for just a bit to relax and get reacquainted. I daresay we have all earned the break.

And the Sky Turned Black

I got to witness some amazing weather yesterday while I was driving home from a task on the eastern side of the valley. The weather all day had been sunny with just a little wind. Just before I was leaving for home, the wind kicked up (in good Ellensburg style!) and the air got noticeably cooler. About half way across the valley, the leading edge of a huge storm cell crossed over the western mountains. There was a distinct line between the clear blue sky and the black, lightning-filled sky. It almost had an apocalyptic appearance. The lightning was incredible! Big, bright and often, the forked lightning struck at the mountain ridges around my home. When these storms come breezing through, there is a distinctive smell that accompanies them. I suppose that it is mix of the charge in the air and the rain mixing with the thousands of acres of dust and bare dirt. It was quite a sight.

Home again, home again, jiggity-jig

After having an extraordinarily busy time in Dubai, I have returned to the relative calm of routine Kabul. All of the new employees that I met in Dubai have arrived safely in Kabul.

A quick week here and then on the road again: one week and I will be back in Dubai on my way to meet my family in Spain. There are sand castles to build, waves to splash in, monkeys to watch in Gibraltar, good food to eat... How will I ever concentrate on work this week?

"Yeah, but it's a dry heat..."

...except for all of the humidity! It was well above 100 degrees F today with the humidity level so high that every time I walked outside, my glasses completely fogged over. Talking to people that have been through a summer here, I haven't seen anything yet. I have daytime highs of over 135 degrees F to look forward to as summer approaches.

The more time I spend in Dubai, the more I like it. It is a very international city with business people from all over the world. It is a true melting pot.

Headed out to play Tom Hanks again as I meet another batch of new employees entering the theater.

Happy Mother's Day

Wishing all of the moms and moms-to-be, a very happy Mother's Day!

Off to Dubai

I leave today for five days in Dubai. If things go smoothly, there might be an entire afternoon on one of the days for me to do absolutely nothing. It doesn't look like I will need to pack any sweaters--the little weather guy that lives in my computer says that it will be 104 there today. I can't hardly wait until summer arrives!

Who are you, Readers of Tony's Travels?

Over the past months, I have enjoyed watching as the group of readers of this blog has grown. So far over three thousand of you spread across thirteen countries have logged in and learned a little bit about me and my time in Kabul. Amazing.

The Return of Arrogance

Some of you may remember my message expressing an opinion of American corporate arrogance in the form of visiting VIPs (here and here to refresh your memories). The bosses of the people mentioned in those articles are here visiting now. Anyone in the pharmaceutical business out there? I need a Costco-sized pack of blood pressure meds.

The visiting personnel arrived yesterday and the circus began. I have held the belief since I was a junior enlisted man in the service that if the 'boss' wants to see how an organization truly functions, inspections or visits should be unannounced and random. If the leaders of the local level of the organization were doing their jobs, it wouldn't matter when the inspection occurred. Go to work and complete your tasks every day as if you were being inspected. As a police officer, the criminals don't call ahead and schedule when an event is going to take place. As a soldier, the engaging combatant doesn't call ahead and warn that an attack it is eminent. So why do we have 30/60/90 days warnings that 'the brass is coming' for an inspection.

Today's final straw--and it happened at breakfast, so who knows how the rest of the day is going to go--was another instance of arrogance that makes my blood boil. I rise early and on most days am the very first person in the dining room. It gives me a chance to watch a bit of the news and drink a cup of coffee before the day's events begin to unfold. I walked in this morning and noticed that there were 24 seats reserved for the 2 visiting personnel. I asked the kitchen staff about the apparent discrepancy. "That's what we were told to do, sir." Hmmm. Having sat in this very room each morning, I have learned the ebb and flow of the camp life. By reserving 24 seats for the 2 visitors, that only left about 18 seats for the 50-75 people that come in to eat at the early breakfast time. The first wave of diners are the Ghurkas and local police that are coming off post. These are the soldiers that have just stood watch all night so that the rest of us can sleep in peace. They are told that they can't eat in the dining room with the Americans. My dander already up and my blood pressure sky high, I erupted. The hell if I am going to stand by and watch the people putting their lives on the line to protect me be treated like yesterday's trash. I invited the soldiers to sit at one of the reserved tables. The lead Ghurka, who knew full well what was being played out before him, smiled, sat down, and ate his breakfast. His men, following the lead of their commander, joined him and ate before getting some sleep so that they could stand post again in too few hours.

In my 20+ years of wearing a uniform, I have had the privilege of working with some extraordinarily fine leaders and the unfortunate circumstance of working for some very poor "leaders" as well. As time goes by, this company is showing its true colors. RHIP (Rank Has Its Privilege) indeed; it also has its duties and responsibilities and they are being shirked. You should be ashamed.

Upcoming Travels

The next month will be filled with much travel. I will be in Dubai twice for work and then a pleasure trip to Spain to reunite with my family for a week. I wish KamAir had frequent flier miles, or do I? Check their website and you might pick up on why flying with their crack crews make area travellers pray more than smile. And, they are the "good" airline. The only other commercial airline that flies between Kabul and Dubai (Ariana Airline) is on the "Thou shall not use" list put out by the US gov't.

Reminder to all: Mother's Day is right around the corner. In spite of our mothers' best efforts to leave us in grocery stores when we were children and other such stories, let them know you love them on their special day.

Just Like Old Times

The quality of the food has reached all-time lows of late. I don't know, and really don't want to speculate on why it has become so poor, but I was ready for a change. On one of my trips to one of the international bases in town, I found Skippy peanut butter (the words are in another language, but if you look closely you can see the little 'Made in USA' symbol on the label) and some jelly from our friendly neighborhood Danes. Last night I walked down to the dining room, looked at the menu, sighed, picked up a plastic plate and loaded it with sliced bread. I carried my treasure back to my room and made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. There I was sitting in 'my room' eating sandwiches, drinking orange pop, and watching "Rockford Files" on TV. Just like the old days...

I'm Back

Image courtesy of http://theage.co.au.

Two days back I was struck by a freight train locally known as the Kabul Krud (and a few other names that shouldn't be repeated). It left me feeling awful and looking about the same. Today I was able to look at lights brighter than a 40w bulb without crawling under the bed and, also, look at food without crawling to another part of the house.

I shall be back to my old chipper and perky self in no time.

The Normandy Ghurkas

Image courtesy of http://www.battlefield-site.co.uk/traditions.htm.

I was honored to be invited to a ceremonial dinner tonight. Bishnu, one of our loyal Ghurka's, asked me, along with a number of the other US personnel that live on this camp, to attend a special dinner tonight. The dinner was their way of honoring our outgoing general officer and welcoming the new. Each general was presented with a ceremonial Nepalese hat adorned with the Ghurka crest. These very capable and dedicated men are some of the finest soldiers in the world. Their bravery and ability is legendary. I was proud to have been invited and to attend their ceremony. The dinner consisted of a freshly butchered goat (slaughtered and barbecued directly under the window of my room) with Nepalese rice, vegetables, and rice and coconut pudding. It was delicious.

The Ghurka motto: Kaphar hunnu bhanda marnu ramro (Better to die than live a coward). One of the stories that I heard when I arrived here was this: A group of three Ghurkas went into town to buy a goat for a barbecue. They were accosted (sometimes people that work with the coalition forces are also targeted for violence) and all three were shot, one of them fatally. The other two, already shot and bleeding heavily, chased down the man that had killed their comrade, and killed him with their bare hands. They then ran across town to the embassy for protection. When asked why they killed the man, their reply was that it was what their honor required them to do.

Annie's Pink Rose

The plants here have got to be some of the fastest growing anywhere. One month ago, the rose bushes outside of my house looked like sticks stuck into the ground. This rose was just a tightly closed bud this morning and now look at it. Amazing.

Camels

I saw my first camel the other day. During our recent road trip, we were driving across a high valley when we came across a large group of nomads. The people were living in their tents that were pitched on the valley floor and had their animals tethered close by. Had we been in a more secure location, I would have liked to have stopped and taken a picture.

Everything was so green during the drive. Miles of fields that are growing made this part of the world seem considerably less 'brown.' The trip purpose of the trip was to reinvigorate us; it was a success.

Road Trip!

After a difficult past ten days or so, I am taking my team on a road trip today. In the hopes that some different sights and fresher air will cleanse our minds, we are going to attempt to recreate one of the "Vacation" movies. I'll try to get a photo of me looking at the Grand Canyon, Chevy Chase style.

Dust Storm

A pretty good storm came through the valley this afternoon and really kicked up a mess. Above are few photos showing the storm.

Virginia Tech

Why?